Archive for the ‘ video games ’ Category

Get Oiled up and ready for some Super Street Fighter IV action !!

Capcom have announed the final piece of the Super Street Fighter IV puzzle.  Meet HAKAN !!

ssfiv-hakan1

He likes to get all oiled up, down and dirty. Hakan is an oil wrestler hailing from Turkey. Using lubricant to assist in his battles, this slippery character brings some of the most insane moves and ultra combos to the series.

Check out the video trailer below and some more screenshots futher down.

Super Street Fighter IV will be out on April 30th for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 with 10 new characters, new Ultra combos, new stages, the return of bonus rounds and beefed-up online modes (including the free tournament mode DLC after launch).  Also make sure you have Pre-ordered your copy as the are some ULTRA-COOL-COMBO goodies to go with it when you do :)

Let us know what you think of Hakan,  do you think hes stronger than Zangief ? or even better than him ;)

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Lost Planet 2 Website now officially up and running

Capcom have announced that the new Lost Planet 2 website is now up and running and ready to kick some butt. There’s plenty of cool stuff like new videos, screens, images of Vital Suits, Akrid, a map of the episodes, and heaps more.

Check it out here !! Lost Planet 2 Official Website

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Who’s pumped for Lost Planet .. will you play as Wesker, Dom or the legendary Marcus Fenix ?  Or will stay true to the game and play as one of the original characters ?

Sonic & SEGA All-Stars Racing out NOW !!

It’s slipped in under the radar, as most of us are plugging away at Battlefield Bad Company 2.  Sega’s new Sonic & Sega All Star Racing has arrived and is doing victory laps as we speak. 

Join all the popular Sega characters in this great fast paced racing game suitable for the whole family to enjoy.

Sega & Sonic All-Stars Racing is also priced quite reasonably why not pick it up for kids and also the BIG kids as well, easy to play and certainly very fun, it supports local and multiplayer as well so you can get online and whack everyone with Banjo’s Jiggis or Roy’s forklift.

Fishpond have a great deal at them moment and if you live in Australia you also get FREE delivery !! 

Click on any of the links to buy from Fishpond :

Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing – PS3 : $69.97

Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing - XBOX : $69.97

Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing - WII : $69.97

Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing - PC : $69.97

Sonic & Sega All-Star Racing - Nintendo DS : $69.97

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Who’s already picked this up ?  Or who’s gonna buy it now.  What do you guys think of it ?

G’day Everyone !! MasterAbbott has made an appearance on the U.S. Xbox 360 My Community Dashboard Tab on Xbox Live.  If you live in the U.S tab over to the My Community tab whilst logged on to XBOX Live  and check out MasterAbbott.  MasterAbbott would like to say a VERY BIG thank you to the XBOX Community team, especially Xbox Live Community Manager TRIXIE360 for being on Xbox Gamer Spotlight and now appearing on the My Community Dashboard on everyone’s XBOX 360 in the U.S.A :)

Also BIG BIG thanks to everyone that has sent MasterAbbott a friends request and messages :)   He will try and reply back to everyone one of you and also do his best to add as many of you as he possibly can to his friends list.  At the moment his Friends list is kinda getting a bit full right about now ;)

Once again thank to everyone.  The XBOX LIVE Community is the best community in the world !! Lets keep it that way by Playing Fair, Having Fun and Being COOL !! :)

P.S : If anyone knows if Summer Glau has a xbox gamertag … shoot MasterAbbott a message via xbox live or email him at info@capsulecomputers.com.au  as he’d really love to meet her !! ;) hahaha

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Heavy Rain hits the top of the charts in the UK

According to Chart-Track, Heavy Rain is now at the top of sales in the UK.
Look at it for yourself here.

Heavy Rain surpassed ‘Alien vs Predator’ and ‘Just Dance’; which come in second and third respectively.

This gets me questioning what decides a game purchase in the UK. According to the purchases made in the UK, Just Dance must be pretty good to be coming in third. Maybe I should go pick it up and see what all the fuss is about. But then again, I still have my dignity.

Do you still have your dignity ?  ;)

Heavy Rain Review – PS3

How Far Will You Go To Save Someone You Love?

That’s a pretty hardcore question.  Would you kill to save your loved one ? Would you die to let them live ?  The possibilities are endless, is there a right or wrong decision ? what are the repercussions after you’ve performed these actions ?  Well these sorts of choices are what you will need to make plus many more in Sony’s new psychological thriller filled with innumerable twists and turns, where choices and actions can result in dramatic consequences.  Welcome to the world of HEAVY RAIN !!

Heavy Rain is by far one of the most interesting games I’ve ever come across.  A mixture between a game and a film with great gameplay, brilliant graphics and superb audio, where you control four main characters, spanning over four days (within the game) filled with mystery and suspense as they all attempt to track down a murderer known only as the Origami Killer, a name given to him/her by the calling card they leave behind in the form of a folded paper origami shape at the crime scenes.

Let me start off by saying that Heavy Rain’s storyline has a total of 23 different endings.  I don’t believe any other game currently available at the moment comes even close.  Not even interactive movies have that many possible endings.  This certainly provides players with a different experience nearly every time.  With every choice you make, the storyline will go down a specific path, and it will make you think… did I pick the right option ? did I ask the right question, should I done this that way or this way.  There are too many possibilities, but the great thing is at least you know that Heavy Rain has a huge amount of re-playability value, which will drag you back to play it again and again to see how the story ends in a different way.

The Four characters, each following their own leads and with their own motives, must take part in a desperate attempt to prevent the killer from claiming a new victim.  The storyline of the game is complex and very impressive. The four characters you control all have their own strengths and weaknesses.  Ethan Mars who we see at the beginning of the game waking up, spending time with his kids and enjoying his daily life, just seems a little to good to be true.  This is the calm before the storm, and let me tell you the storm hits and it hits pretty hard on poor Ethan,  Ethan is asked to prove how far he would go to save his son, by taking on a number of tasks set out by the Origami Killer.  Whilst Ethan is proving his worth we also have Scott Shelby a private detective, who is trying to gather details on the origami killer by interviewing parents of the killers victims. Next we have Norman Jayden a FBI profiler with some ultra cool gadgets, Jayden is sent in to assist the local police with their investigations, if you enjoy crime scene investigations and searching for clues then Jaydens character is perfect for you.  His sci-fi style ARI (Added Reality Interface) is something I’ve never seen before but works really well with his character and in finding clues to help gather information.  Finally we have Maddison Paige a chronic insomniac who’s riddled with bad dreams, and can only find sleep whilst in cheap and seedy hotels. But also enjoys hot steamy showers ;)

During the course of the game, any or all of these four main characters can die.  Depending on your choices.  If by any chance one of the characters die, the main story will continue, but the dead characters chapters that would of been available will end.  Whilst playing their deaths will be referenced within the game but the game will continue to play out to its final climatic conclusion,  I know a few of you are probably thinking.  What happens if I kill them all off before the actual game ends… what then ? Do I have to start from the begining ? Well Quantic Dream have also covered this base quite nicely as well. If everyone does die by the choices you select, there is an ending that also ties up everything very neatly, and the game ends. Probably not the best ending to have but an ending none the less.  (NO SPOILERS)

The control system takes advantage of nearly every available option that the Playstation 3 controller has.  True hardcore vetrans that sleep with their Playstation controllers under their pillow will have absolutely no problems what so ever with the game mechanics and controls.  Predominlatly Heavy Rain incorporates simple and at certain times very challenging button press/quick time moments, where you will need to learn and master the the playstation buttons.  If you’re new to the controller, then I’d recommend becoming familiar with it, map it out in your head, quiz yourself where all the buttons are, including the triggers, then when your ready to take the test turn on Heavy Rain.

Moving around is the easiest part of the game, holding down R2 will make your character walk while the left stick will move them in the direction you choose.  It’s a little fiddly to get used to at first but it soon becomes second nature,  you can also move the characters head by simple moving the left thumb stick left and right to interact with items.  As explained things get a little tricky when you start interacting with objects and puzzles.   For example an early scene has you climbing up a muddy and very slippery slope.  To climb up involves the player to hold down a series of face buttons such as holding down the X then whilst holding down the X you need to start holding down the Square button, then once you’ve done that release the X and press and hold down the Triangle.  This sort of action is just one example, which is a little tricky at first but will become easier over time.  Other such moments will have you repeatedly pressing the the face buttons to overcome specific situations like a struggle between your character and an an enemy.  Other moments have you shaking your controller left and right or up and down to open a drawer or to shake a bottle of orange juice you’ve taken our of the fridge. (yes even in games we still drink out of carton)

**Check out this little video walkthrough on how the controls work in a fight scene **

One new option never seen before in any game I’ve come across is the characters thoughts,  something that most of us completely forget about whilst playing on your first run through.  The characters thoughts are available to us by pressing the left trigger.  If the character has thoughts in his mind then words start floating around their head, to initiate these thoughts a face button is associated it to it, pressing that face button will make the character think to himself or ask questions to a non player character in the game.  There are certain moments where questions must be asked and this is where you  have to react very quickly to pick them otherwise they will just like in real life, you run out of time to ask it and the character your asking the question will not want to answer you anymore.  So reaction times are very important if you don’t want to miss out on asking that specific question.  Once again a keen reflexes and button familiarization is recommended.

With every game there are some good and bad points.  With all the great points out of the way, I’ll go through some of the darker points.  Graphically Heavy Rain looks brilliant, but in certain moments, lip-synching and character models look a little average, the voice acting is not 100% but this is mainly due to non-english speaking actors used to cast the game.  The control system even though is fantastic does takes a bit of time getting used to, if your new to the Playstation 3 controller.  It’s recommended learning where each button is located as you’re going to need them for the multitude of quick time events/puzzle/object interactions that the game throws your way.

With these little hiccups out of the way.  I have to say that I have never played anything so epic, momentous or revolutionary as Heavy Rain.  Quantic Dream have done a fantastic job at introducing what I believe is the next step forward in the world of video game storytelling and interactivity.  I hope we see many more games such as Heavy Rain moving forward from other developers and I cant wait to get my hands on the episodic DLC for the game.  Just when you think you’re done with the game Quantic Dream have more Heavy Rain episodes planned. Stay tuned for them to appear via the PSN store in coming months.

Capsule Computers gives Heavy Rain : 9.5 Capsule Out Of 10

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Let us know what you thought of the review, and also what you thought of Heavy Rain.  How many times have you finished it.  How did it make you feel ? Does it have what it takes to be the game of the year ? Your thoughts.  Leave a comment below.

Check out the weekly specials over at Fishpond.com.au this week !! Some great deals to be had.  Also if you purchase anything from Fishpond make sure you enter the Fishpond & Capsule Computers Mega Competition.  

Remember Fishpond have FREE Delivery if you spend over $49.99 to anywhere in AUSTRALIA.   Most of all Fishpond also sell other cool stuff apart from Games such as Books, Movies, Music and TOYS !!  

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 Heavy Rain
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Metro 2033 With Free T-Shirt Pre-Order
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Use the search engine below to find whatever you like.  Prices at Fishpond are out of this pond !!! Service is fantastic and your goods are always delivered on time everytime.  Capsule Computers staff purchase all our games and movies from Fishpond.  Don’t delay grab a FISHPOND BARGAIN TODAY !!  

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Let us know what you’ve purchased :) We always like to hear what great deals have been had from fishpond :)

Host: Larry Hryb, Xbox LIVE’s Major Nelson (Xbox LIVE ) (Twitter)  
Co-host : e (Xbox LIVE ) (Twitter)  
Co-host : lollip0p (Xbox LIVE) (Twitter)
Co-Host: Stepto (Xbox LIVE) (Twitter

Interview: Patrick Bailey, Battlefield- Bad Company 2 ( 23:58 – 48:14)
Interview: Stepto’s Penny Arcade Child’s Play Auction Winners (48:15 – 1:00:08)

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Let us know what you think of this weeks show.  Do you enjoy Majors podcast ? What do you think of E, Lollipop and Stepto as guests of the show.

plantsvszombies-iphone-03

This is amazing !! well done to PopCap Games on this fantastic record breaking achievement.  Plants vs Zombies is possibly one of the most enjoyable game we’ve played on the Apple iPhone.  If you haven’t already checked it out, take a look at our review here and also click on the button below to buy your copy now from iTunes.

 Plants vs. Zombies Buy now !! Or the Zombies will get you !! ;)

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Official Press Release

More Than 300,000 Units Sold in First Nine Days; Joins Bejeweled® 2 as App Store Record-Breaker

DUBLIN, Ireland – February 25, 2010 — PopCap Games, maker of some of the world’s most popular video games, today announced that the iPhone and iPod touch adaptation of its award-winning game Plants vs. Zombies sold more than 300,000 units in its first nine days of availability, setting a new record for App Store launches. Plants vs. Zombies shot to number one in the units sold and “top grossing” App Store charts within 24 hours of its launch and remained there until yesterday. At a retail price point of US$2.99, Plants vs. Zombies for iPhone/touch has already grossed more than US$1 million.

PopCap also revealed that its flagship Bejeweled® 2 is now the first paid app to reach 3 million units on the App Store. Bejeweled 2 has consistently been in the top 10 of the App Store’s Top Grossing list. With the success of Plants vs. Zombies, PopCap now boasts 3 games (including Bejeweled and Peggle) that have reached #1 on the App Store among a crowded field of more than 150,000 apps. The company’s other iPhone games, Bookworm and Chuzzle, are consistently in the top 100 on the App Store.

Originally launched on the PC and Mac in May of 2009 to universal critical acclaim, Plants vs. Zombies has been expertly adapted for iPhone and iPod touch. Consumers who have purchased the iPhone adaptation agree, with more than 95% giving the game five out of five stars in the App Store’s rating system – making it the highest-rated product in the App Store. Plants vs. Zombies is proving to be a global phenomenon on the App Store, reaching the #1 position on the sales charts in more than 20 countries worldwide including Canada, China, Russia, Australia, Germany, Denmark, Ireland, and Norway. Within one day of the game’s launch, it joined Bejeweled 2 as one of the top five highest-grossing iPhone apps of the week.

“Plants vs. Zombies is our latest major franchise to make the jump to iPhone, and from the early customer and critical feedback it appears to be a great adaptation of the game,” said Andrew Stein, director of mobile business development at PopCap. “There’s always a concern when bringing a computer game to a mobile, pocket-sized device that something will get lost in the process, but in this case the overwhelming consensus is that Plants vs. Zombies is even more fun on the smaller touch screen!”

About PopCap

PopCap Games (www.popcap.com) is the leading multi-platform provider of fun, easy-to-learn, captivating video games that appeal to everyone from age 6 to 106. Based in Seattle, Washington, PopCap was founded in 2000 and has a worldwide staff of over 260 people in Seattle, San Francisco, Chicago, Vancouver, B.C., Dublin, and Shanghai. Its games have been downloaded more than 1 billion times by consumers worldwide, and its flagship title, Bejeweled, has sold more than 50 million units across all platforms. Constantly acclaimed by consumers and critics, PopCap’s games are played on the Web, social platforms, desktop computers, myriad mobile devices (cell phones, smartphones, PDAs, Pocket PCs, iPod, iPhone and more), popular game consoles (such as Xbox and DS), and in-flight entertainment systems. PopCap is the only “casual games” developer with leading market share across all major sales channels, including social, Web portals, retail stores, mobile phones, MP3 players, and game devices.

Puzzlegeddon – Xbox Live Arcade Review

Puzzlegeddon cover

Game Name: Puzzlegeddon
Platforms: Xbox 360, PC
Publisher(s): TECMO
Developer(s): Pieces Interactive
Genre(s): Puzzle and Word
Release Date: 12/16/2009
ESRB Rating: E – Everyone
Price: 800MSP
Demo: Add to Download Queue

Story
“Set in an array of galaxies, Puzzlegeddon features a clever mix of puzzle, action, and strategy in a fast-paced and exciting game! Compete for the top spot on the planet by creating multiple combos for the quickest way to gather enough resources to blast your enemies out of this world. Or, if you find yourself on the perilous poisonous planet, solve brainteasers to survive for as long as possible and rack up a high score. Battle up to five players on Xbox LIVE® in a variety of galaxies in this stylish and quirky puzzle brawler.” [Via Xbox.com]

You are on a planet, trying to collect resources to destroy the other people that are also on the planet. That is pretty much the entire story. Like all puzzle games, there isn’t much need for a story.

Gameplay
Puzzle games must use unique gameplay to stand out, because what is fun about buying a game that you could already have played?

Puzzlegeddon almost succeeds in being unique. It feels more like a weird combination of resource collecting, block elimination, and strategy. The gameplay mechanics have been around forever, but Puzzlegeddon succeeds in combining the three for a fun experience.

You must combine 5 or more of the same colored blocks in order to gain some resources for a certain ability. Although there are symbols on the blocks to tell them apart as well, these symbols are very hard to see on smaller TVs. Because of this, this game isn’t very good for colorblind people.

You can move blocks vertically or horizontally to match them up. You can then make those blocks into resources. The beauty of this game is that it doesn’t make the resources until you want it to. You could make huge combo set up and then take the resources whenever you are ready, for a massive resource boost.

Each color resource represents 1 of 4 different abilities to unlock. As you collect resources, the resource gauge will fill up and when you get enough of a specific resource you will be able to use a defensive or offensive attack depending on the type of resource you have collected. Each gauge also has three levels, the higher in the gauge the stronger the ability is. The goal is to kill everyone else and to stay alive at the same time.

Dying isn’t entirely bad though. If you die, you can play a minigame while waiting for the other players to die. This minigame can improve your chances in the next game, or even repsawn you back into the current game.

Audio

The audio in the game is valued the exact same amount as audio in Tetris. It is there just so it isn’t quiet while you are playing. There are a few sound cues to listen out for though. A sound effect will go off when an enemy is using an ability, this is the time to stop and check who is attacking who and take the necessary precautions against the attack if it is coming for you.

Achievements

The achievement list is extremely difficult; also “Duelist” and “Brawny” are impossible since the online community is dead. Luckily the game is addicting enough to let you want to play enough that the other achievements should unlock by just playing a lot. The only one that is based on luck is “Geddowned!” since in order to do it, you have to use it right when the enemy uses an attack, and you don’t have enough time to see which attack he is using first. You just have to hope that he is using the monster attack.

The Achievement List is:

  • Hard to Crack – Finish first in a round of Battle Royale with the shield still intact.
  • To Cool for School – Give Ralph a big owie.
  • King of Comedy – Respawn into a missile and die.
  • Brawny – Finish first in a complete Multiplayer match of at least 3 rounds of Battle Royale.
  • Geddowned! – Use a Wormhole Disrupt to block a foe’s Monster Attack within a second of it launching at you.
  • Wait for it – Use a Missile Boost on an attack less than one second before it’s hit by an Anti-Missile.
  • Try Anything Twice – Reflect the same missile twice.
  • Duelist – Defeat a total of 100 foes in Multiplayer.
  • Meet Your Maker – Defeat a total of 50 Hard Bots when playing as the Robot Factory.
  • Even-Steven – Defeat a total of 50 opponents after you have been killed.
  • Rest in Pieces – Accumulate 150 Dead Puzzler’s points ten times, in Multiplayer Battle Royales.
  • Puritan – Clear the final level of Poison Peril.

 

 

Overview
Although the online community is already dead, you can still play against bots and have fun by yourself. Puzzlegeddon combines two pretty simple gameplay mechanics and combines them into a flurry of fun. I give Puzzlegeddon 7 capsules out of 10.

Pros

  • Game Mechanics that anyone (except the colorblind) can pick up an enjoy.
  • Bots to play against for people without Xbox Live.
  • A very big list of custom game options, for endless game possibilities.

Cons

  • Based entirely on different color blocks, it may be hard for colorblind people to play.
  • A dead online community.
  • The bots have a tendency to focus on you mostly, making larger games feel one sided.

 

Source
Puzzlegeddon Site